Sofa-bed



(No Model.)

B. P. PAR'RAR.

SOFA BED.

No. 278,004. atented May 22,1883.

RS. Hwlo-Lllhographcr, Wnhinmn. D. (2v

v UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. FARRAR, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

soFA-Bso.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 278,004, dated May 22,1883.

Applicationfiled March 31, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. FARR'AR, of the city andcounty of SanFrancisco, State of California, have invented an Improved Sofa Bed; andI hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof.

My invention relates to that class of furniture known as sofa-beds, andto certain new and useful improvements therein.

These improvements consist in the means forhinging and adjusting thoseparts or portions which are intended to fold up or open ontas, forexample, the back and heads.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, economical, andefl'ective means for operating therhinged parts and sustaining them inany desired position. I

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side sectionalview with the end piece dotted, showing itplaced at different angles.Fig. 2 is an end section. Fig. 3 is a portion of the end in perspective.Fig. 4 shows the plate and slot in the end piece. Fig. 5 shows pawl E. Ihave herein deemed it necessary simply to illustrate my invention inconnection with and as applied to the heads or ends.

A represents a portion of the frame which forms the seat. At its end isformed, by means of strips a a and strips a, a quadrilateral box, asshown. Within each end of this box, and secured in suitable manner, arethe curved ratchets B. These are made of metal, with teeth b, havingoverlapping hooked ends b.

Screwed to the inside surface of the strips a of the box, and lyingflush therewith, are iron castings or plates C, havinginwardlyprojecting pins 0, with enlarged heads 0, forming knobs orbuttons.

D is the end or head, made in proper shape. To thebase of its sides, ontheir inner surfaces, are screwed castings E, each formed with a hookedpawl, e, as shown. The outer surface of the lower portion of the sidesof the head is grooved out at d, and over the tops of the grooves isbolted to the sides a casting, F, having a slot,-f, with an open bottom.In fitting the head D to its place its sides slip down inside of thestrips a of body-frame, the slotted castings F passing down over thepins 0, the heads 0 of which enter and fit in the grooves 11 in thehead.When the head is well down in position, the slotted castings bear downon the pins 0, which thus form a pivot or hinge for the head, and thehooked pawls e engage with the hooked teeth I) of the ratchets B. Thesides of the head lit down inside of the end strip, a.

A shoulder, m, is formed on the rear lower ends of the side pieces ofthe head I). These rest on the outer strip, a, of the body frame whenthe head D is fitted down to its place and is in a perpendicularposition. In this position the hooked pawls c engage behind the lowesttooth, b, of the ratchets.

The head is prevented from moving inward beyond a perpendicular byreason of the lower ends of its sides bearing against the outer strip,a. By lifting the head D sufficiently to disengage its pawls from theratchets it may then be lowered. It can be thus lifted because of itsplay on its pivots by reason of the slotted castings F, and it thenturns on the pins 0 as pivots. By lowering the head, so that its pawlsmay engage withan y of the teeth of the ratchets, it may be adjusted atany suitable inclination and there held securely, as its hooked pawls,engaging under the hooked teeth of the ratchets, find firm and strongbearings, and cannot be released by any pulling on the head. When thehead has been lowered to its limit its pawls en gage with the top teethof the ratchets B. It has further support, when in this position uponthe outer strip, a, by restingits ownside strips thereon,so that it isperfectly rigid, and will bear any proper weight.

Now,in order to keep the head from being accidentally pulledout from thepins 0, Ihave on each side a small rod, pin, or screw, 0, which isfitted down in a socket in the outer surface of the sides of the head,and passes across the grooves d, under the pins 0, thus closing theslotted plates F, so that they cannot be drawn off their pivots.

By my construction I avoid all the complicated mechanism now in use inthis class of furniture for aecom plishin g this result. I have noswinging pawls to become disarranged and no cords to operate them. Theengagement of the pawls and ratchets in other devices is at best animperfect and loose one. In some the ratchets swing and are operated bycords, andin others thepawls are pivoted, making ita matter of someuncertainty whether a proper engagement is eii'ected but in my deviceboth pawls and ratchets are firm and require no cord to operate them;Their engagement is certain and rigid, afi'ording a strong andsecuredevice.

This construction may be applied to the back as well as to the heads,and I may have it at both ends, or at any point where one part isrequired to be hinged to another, and is adapted to be adjusted tovarious angles.

Suitably hinged to the head I) will be the usual swinging or foldinghead, though I have not thought it necessary to show that here.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim asnew, and desire-tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a sofa-bed, the seat-frame or body A, having curved ratchets B, incombination with a swinging part or portion of the bed pivoted to thebody, and having pawls e rigidly secured thereto, and a means forproviding a play 0!" the swinging portion on its pivots to throw itspawls into or out of engagement with the ratchets, substantially asherein described.

2. In a sofa-bed, the seat-frame or body A, having curved ratchets B,and pivot-pins c, in combination with a swinging part or portion of thebed, having slotted bearings F, fitting down upon pivot-pins 0,.andpawls c, rigidly secured thereto, all arranged andoperatingsubstantially as and for the purpose herein described.

3. In a sofa-bed, the seat-frame or body A, having secured in its endscurved ratchets B, with hooked teeth I), and pivot-pins c, incombination with the head I), having secured to its base the hookedpawls c, and to its sides the slotted bearing-plates F, in which thepivot-pins fit, all arranged and operating substantially as hereindescribed.

4. In a sofa-bed, the seat-frame or body A, having secured in its endscurved ratchets B, with hooked teeth I), and pivot-pins 0, havingenlarged heads 0, in combination with the head D, having hooked'pawls e,engaging with ratchets B, grooved sides at, and slotted bearing-platesF, in which the pivot-pins fit, substantially as herein described.

5. 'In a sofa-bed, the seat-frame or body A, having strips a at eachend, the curved ratchets B, with hooked teeth ,1), and the sidepivot-pins, 0, having enlarged heads 0, in combination with the head D,having hooked pawls e, engaging with ratchets B, grooved sides (I, andslotted bearing-plates F, and the rod, pin,

v or screw 0, for closing the opening of said slotted plates,substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

6. In a sot'a-berhthe seat-frame having a strip, a, on its end, incombination with the head D, pivoted to said frame, and extending downinside of strip a, to limit its movement inward beyond a perpendicular,substantially as herein described.

7. In a sofa-bed, the seat-frame or body A, having a strip, a, on itsend, in combination with the head 1),'pivoted to said frame, and havingshoulders m cut out of the back of its sides to rest upon said strip,substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand.

BENJAMIN F. FARRAR.

Witnesses: S. II. NoURsE, J. H. BLooD.

